As mentioned in another question,”What are the best immune support vitamins?”, vitamin C was listed as the first. We all hear how essential vitamin C is for our health but what are the added benefits with zinc?

Vitamin C and zinc play important roles in providing adequate nutrition and immune defense. It’s used as a dietary supplement to provide vitamins and minerals that your body doesn’t take in through foods alone.

• If you’re trying to get over a cold or avoid one, vitamin C with zinc is your best bet. People who take vitamin C plus zinc to lessen the duration of a cold typically report fewer symptoms, such as a runny nose, over five days of treatment. Studies show that using zinc lozenges within 24 hours of catching a cold can reduce the length and severity of cold symptoms.
• Wounds can be healed through the vitamin and mineral also. Vitamin C is needed for the body to form collagen, part of the skin’s connective tissue that plays a vital role in the healing of wounds, such as cuts. Zinc is needed for the formation and maintenance of the skin and mucous membranes.